Industrial controllers and their associated I/O devices are central to the operation of modern automation systems. These controllers interact with field devices on the plant floor to control automated processes relating to such objectives as product manufacture, material handling, batch processing, supervisory control, and other such applications. Industrial controllers store and execute user-defined control programs to effect decision-making in connection with the controlled process. Such programs can include, but are not limited to, ladder logic, sequential function charts, function block diagrams, structured text, or other such platforms.
Industrial automation systems often include one or more operator interfaces that allow plant personnel to view telemetry and status data associated with the automation system, and to control some aspects of system operation. These operator interfaces typically execute on computers that are networked to one or more industrial controllers used to control the automation system, and render selected subsets of data read from the controllers in animated graphical or text formats on pre-developed display screens. Operator interfaces can be used to monitor such information as production statistics, real-time telemetry data (e.g., temperatures, pressures, flow rates, motor speeds, etc.), machine modes and statuses, alarm conditions, or other such metrics of the automation system being monitored.
Since industrial operator interfaces require access to data within the industrial controllers, and therefore must share a common network with the industrial controllers, such operator interface systems are conventionally located in proximity to the automation system being monitored. Consequently, industrial data and statuses can only be viewed by personnel in proximity to the automation system (e.g., on the plant floor). Moreover, the data available to such operator interfaces is limited to data stored in controllers sharing a common network with the operator interface terminal.
The above-described deficiencies of today's industrial control systems are merely intended to provide an overview of some of the problems of conventional systems, and are not intended to be exhaustive. Other problems with conventional systems and corresponding benefits of the various non-limiting embodiments described herein may become further apparent upon review of the following description.